Antiviral and Virucidal Compounds: From Synthesis, to Screening, up to Identification

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 1993

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
Interests: HCMV; HSV; RSV; influenza virus; coronavirus; virus-host interaction; antivirals; Innate immunity of viral infection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past half century, a large number of emerging and re-emerging viral infectious diseases have emerged and have caused pandemics and epidemics all over the world. A repeated emergence of novel severe acute respiratory corona viruses (SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2) and epidemics/outbreaks of infectious diseases caused by many pathogenic viruses (influenza virus, dengue virus, norovirus, rabies virus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, etc.) threaten human health. Furthermore, transboundary viral animal diseases (e.g., highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever and African swine fever) cause huge damage within animal health and the livestock industry.

The development of antiviral drugs is an important measure to reduce severity and death in infected human and animals. At the same time, virucidal agents contribute to a reduction in viral load in environments and the inhibition of virus transmission. With the increasing global threat of viral infections in recent years, the exploration and application of novel antiviral and virucidal compounds are of great interest. Under these circumstances, the expansion of the use of natural products as sources of candidate compounds, and the improvements of chemical synthesis technology, efficient high-throughput screening and in silico drug discovery analysis are accelerating the identification of prospective compounds.

For this purpose, we welcome the submission of full research articles, review articles, and short communications related, but not limited to the:

  • discovery of novel/unique antiviral and virucidal compounds;
  • mechanisms of action of these compounds;
  • development/improvement of antiviral therapy;
  • application of virucidal compounds for viral infection control measures.

We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Dr. Anna Luganini
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antiviral compounds
  • virucidal compounds
  • compound discovery
  • drug development
  • antiviral therapy
  • application of virus-inactivating agents

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

14 pages, 1179 KiB  
Review
Bee Venom and Its Two Main Components—Melittin and Phospholipase A2—As Promising Antiviral Drug Candidates
by Carole Yaacoub, Rim Wehbe, Rabih Roufayel, Ziad Fajloun and Bruno Coutard
Pathogens 2023, 12(11), 1354; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12111354 - 15 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1681
Abstract
Viruses are known to infect most types of organisms. In humans, they can cause several diseases that range from mild to severe. Although many antiviral therapies have been developed, viral infections continue to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Viruses are known to infect most types of organisms. In humans, they can cause several diseases that range from mild to severe. Although many antiviral therapies have been developed, viral infections continue to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, the discovery of new and effective antiviral agents is desperately needed. Animal venoms are a rich source of bioactive molecules found in natural goods that have been used since ancient times in alternative medicine to treat a variety of human diseases. Recently, and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have regained their interest in the possible use of natural products, such as bee venom (BV), as a potential antiviral agent to treat viral infections. BV is known to exert many therapeutic activities such as anti-proliferative, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, there is limited discussion of the antiviral activity of BV in the literature. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the antiviral properties of BV and its two primary constituents, melittin (MEL) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), against a variety of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Finally, the innovative strategies used to reduce the toxicity of BV and its two compounds for the development of new antiviral treatments are also considered. Full article
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